Metal reinforced wood floor



Oct. l1, 1938. D. A WALLACE Er Ap. 2,133,002

METAL REINFORCED WOOD FLOOR A Filed March 2o, 195e L 5 l I Patented Oct. 11, 1938 i j UNITED STATES METAL RErNroRcED woon FLOOR Davia A. Wallace, Detroit, Mich., and Lloyd E.

Mendenhall, Partridge, Kans.; said Mendenhall assigner to said Wallace Application March 20, 1936, Serial No.'69,842

12 Claims.

This invention relates to metal reinforced boards forV building purposes, the reinforced boards being adapted for use in various types of construction wherein boarding is required and being particulariy adapted for use in floors.

' The primary object of the invention is to provide a board with a rnetal reinforcement to materially increase the mechanical strength thereof.Y The invention has particular utilityin connect'ion with floors inasmuch as the present boards may be mounted on spaced apart oor joists without the necessity of providing a subfloor for base therefor to support the boards on the spaced apart joists. Ordinary floor boards when secured to spaced apart floor joists are unsupported between the joists with the result that too great a degree of resiliency is present and this resiliency results in undesirable noises.- in addition, the necessity for a high degree of mechanical strength makes it necessary to form the floor boards quite thick which is undesirable in hard wood floors for decorative as weil as utilitarian purposes because such wood is expensive. f

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wood floor which is fire-proof. In this connection the Wood boards are reinforced `by metal which is suflicientiy strong to carry the loads to which the loor mightV be subjected so that in the event of fire a supporting surface remains even after the complete destruction of the wood floor.

yStill another object of the invention is to provide a reinforcement for boards which tends to maintain the boards in a perfectly true condition, free from warps, so that the assembly of such boards into a building or floor structure may be made-without the difficulty which ordinarily resultsl in the assembiy of boards which are warped.`

Stiil ari-other object of the present invention is to provide facing or flooring elements including metal parts with reinforcing characteristics and adapting the facing or fiooring elements for direct attachment to a metal frame or building support by welding, so that such facing or iiooring becomes an integral part of the building structure to function as a reinforcement therefor.

With the above and other ends in view the invention is more particularly pointed out with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure il .is a section of an assembled floor;

Fig. '-2 is a lfragrnental perspective of a board;

PATENT OFFICE Fig. 3 is a fragmental perspective of a reinforcement;

Fig. 4 is a section of aoor illustrating a modified form of reinforcement;

Fig. 5 is a. section illustrating a plurality of boards in combination with a single reinforcement, and

lplane of the grooves being obliquely disposedl with respect to the plane of the bottom of the board. The grooves 2 are preferably disposed in close proximity to the opposite sides of the board so as to be spaced a substantial distance apart. The numeral 3 generally designates a metal reinforcement comprised of a web 4 vformed with a series of lengthwise extending corrugations for reinforcement purposes as well as to provide for the reception of a bonding material as will hereinafter appear. The web portion 4 unites a pair of obliquely disposed tongues spaced apart and corresponding in Obliquity to the spacing and Obliquity of the grooves 2 in the board I. Projecting laterally from .the tongues 5 are side flanges 6 and 1, the ange E being offset from the plane of the flange 1 `so that the lower surface Vof the flange 6 is in direct alignment with the upper surface of the flange 1.

The `board I is assembled on the reinforcement 3 by aligning the grooves with the tongues and sliding the board lengthwise onto the reinforcement. The contacting surfaces of the boards and reinforcement are coated with an adhesive which sets after the .assembly operation and .i

firmly lholds the parts together. The adhesive action is augmented by the friction between the tongues and grooves resulting from the tendency of the boards to warp While the tongues remain perfectly straight. The adhesive is indicated by the relatively heavy lines 8 in Fig. 1 where it extends between adjacent boards and by the numeral 9 where itis disposed in the grooves between the corrugations in the webs 4. As illustra-ted in Fig. 1, when a plurality of boards are arranged side by side Aon a support I0 such as floor joist, the flanges 5 project into the spaces between the bottom `surfaces of the boards and the flanges 1 on their respective reinforcements Iso l'as to provide a double tongue and groove interlocking action. The adhesive 8 spaces the adjacent boards slightly apart and the use of an asphaltic adhesive is contemplated so as to provide a decorative eifect by the lpresence of a black strip between adjacent boards. The reinforcements with the boards firmly attached thereto, may be secured to the supports IB by nailing or by Welding, as will hereinafter appear.

Referring to Fig. 4 the numeral II designates boards secured to reinforcing' members i2 by means of interlocking tongues and grooves as above described. In this form the web portions of the reinforcements are provided with corrugaticns of greater depth than those described in connection with Figs. 1 lto 3, and the flange Ia is bent back upon itself to provide a double thickness of metal at one side of each board. VWhen the boards are assembled as shown side `flanges 6a on the reinforcements interlock beneath the flanges 1a. The boards Il are secured to the reinforcements I2 by an .adhesive I3 which might comprise an asphalt base as above described or may be shellac, mixed with wood powder or fine saw-dust.

The flanges 6a are provided vwith protuberances ill which engage the metallic support I5 when the boards are assembled thereon, the pro- 'tuberances being provided for projection welding purposes. The form shown in Figs. l to 3 may be welded to the support Ill in likeY manner.

Fig. 5 illustrates the reinforcement of a plurality of boards by means of a single reinforcement, and also illustrates the use of conventional tongue and groove boards. In this view the numerals I6 and I'I designate boards having interlocking tongues and grooves as designated at I8. The board I6 has an obliquely disposed groove I9 extending throughout the length thereof and board I'I has a groove 20 obliquely disposed opposite to the groove I9. A reinforcing element having al corrugated base ZI has a pair of obliquely disposed tongues 22 extending throughout the length thereof. The two boards I6 and II 'are assembled with respect to the reinforcement with the tongues 22 extending into their respective grooves I9 and 20. An adhesive 23 is employed to increase the bond between the boards and the reinforcement.

Fig. 6 illustrates the present floor units secured .to a support by means of nails. The boards 24 mounted on reinforcements 25 as above described are provided with countersunk bores 2B and the reinforcements with coinciding apertures V2'1. Nails 28 are driven through the bores 26 and apertures 21 and enter the support 29 obliquely. The boards are thus toe-nailed to the support.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described it will be understood that various changes may be vmade within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the Invention, and such changes are contemplated.

What we claim is:-

l. In combination, a strip shaped facing member, a metal reinforce, and means permanently securing said reinforce thereto, said reinforce having projecting side elements at each side thereof adapted to interlock one beneath another when said strips are laid side by side said reinforces having their side projecting elements offset relative to each other such that opposite 'side elements of successive reinforces successively overlie and underlie adjacent side elements of adjacent reinforces when the strips are laid in place.

2. In combination, a Wood board having grooves therein, and a metal reinforce having tongues received in said groove, said reinforce being formed of sheet metal and having corrugations providingy alternating ribs and grooves for the reinforcement thereof, said ribs providing a seating surface for the board and the grooves being adapted for the reception of an adhesive.

3. In combination, a wood board and a metal reinforce, said reinforce being `formed of sheet metal and having corrugations providing alternating ribs and grooves for the reinforcement thereof, said ribs providing a seating surface for the board and the grooves being adapted for the reception of an adhesive.

4. In combination, a wood board, and a metal reinforce, means permanently securing said reinforce to said board, said reinforce having projecting side elements extending continuously throughout the length thereof and adapted to overlap one beneath another When a plurality of reinforced boards are laid in side by side relation.

5. In combination, a board having oblique grooves in a surface thereof, and a channelshaped metal reinforce having spaced side walls united by an integral web, the side walls comprising oblique tongue portions and extending into saidgrooves and securing the board to the reinforce.

6. In combination, a board having oblique in a surface thereoffand a channelshaped metal reinforce having spaced side walls united by an integral web, the side walls comprising oblique tongue portions extending into said grooves and securing the board to the reinforce, said reinforce being provided with corrugated portions in the web thereof for the purpose of reinforcing the same and receiving an adhesive.

7. In combination, a board having spaced aart oblique grooves in a surface thereof, and a metal reinforce having spaced apart oblique tongue portions extending into said grooves and ,securing the board to the reinforce, said reinforce having means projecting laterally therefrom and adapted to interlock one beneath another when a plurality of boards are laid side by side. Y

8. In combination, a pair of parallel boards, and a single metallic reinforce permanently secured to both boards, said reinforce having pro- Y jecting means extending continuously throughout the length thereof and adapted to overlap one beneath another when a plurality of such rairs of boards are laid side by side.

9. In combination, a pair of boards, and a metallic reinforce secured to said boards, said reinforce having means adapted to interlock one with another when a plurality of such pairs of boards are laid side by side, and means uniting said interlocking portions, said last named means having corrugated portions providing for stiffening thereof and the reception of an adhesive material.

l0. In combination, a pair of boards, each board having an oblique groove extending lengthwise parallel to the sides thereof, and a metallic reinforce having a pair of obliquely projecting tongues and a web structure uniting said tongues, said web portion extending across the joint between the two boards and supporting said tongues extending into said grooves of 12. In combination, a support, a board, a metal reinforce secured to said board, said reinforce having means adapted to interlock one with an other when a, plurality of boards are placed side by side on said support, said board and reinforce having coinciding means disposed with its axis oblique and spaced from said interlock means, and securing elements received in said means and extending into said support.

DAVID A. WALLACE. LLOYD E. MENDENHALL. 

